Arewa Group Decries Blackmail Against FCC Chairperson

A coalition of professionals and elder statesmen from Northern Nigeria, Arewa Professional Group (APG), has decried the alleged ethnic profiling, gender abuse, and blackmail against the chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr. Muheeba Dankaka.

The APG called for a professional approach to running the Federal Character Commission and reaffirmed its confidence in Dr. Dankaka’s ability to serve diligently in her role.

They urged all Nigerians to respect the principles of fairness and meritocracy, allowing individuals like Dr. Dankaka to continue contributing to the nation’s progress without undue interference.

In a statement signed by the national coordinator of APG, Dr. Umar Bala Abdulkadir, and secretary, Comrade Nazanmi Dakingari, yesterday in Abuja the group expressed concern over the malicious campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Dr. Dankaka.

The group called on the leadership of the House of Representatives, the Senate of the Federal Republic, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put an end to the ethno-religious profiling, and gender abuse that have been used against her.

For the record, they said she is a female professional who has remained a bastion of Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto); a role model of our women and girl-child in the North and who has consistently prided herself in the discharge of her duties effectively, right from assuming the mantle of leadership.

The statement said: “Nigerians and indeed, the management of the FCC will agree that before the presidential elections of 2023, even the lowest cadre of staff of the FCC, the leadership of the National Assembly and the various committees were adequately aware of the avid stand, body language and sincere campaigns embarked upon by Dr Muheeba Dankaka, who did not hide her genuine efforts.

“She showed her dexterity as a great mobilizer and avid supporter of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s candidacy which, according to our investigation did not go down well with a select few from the Labour Party (LP) principally dominated by individuals from the Southeast geopolitical zone.

“It will also be recalled that these elements embarked on a campaign of calumny and war of attrition against our very own, by going to the market square to dance naked and went as far as using all sorts of blackmail tactics, media bully, and ambush tactics aimed at unseating her from her official seat.”

It said they have consistently called her several unprintable names, and tried inducing her so she could chicken out and indulge in unethical practices at the commission, but she stood her ground, maintaining that it was no longer business as usual.

They also lamented that they made her to swear her innocence in all the alleged and trumped-up charges by some members of the Federal House of Representatives who were and are still hell bent on casting aspersions, and engage in smear campaign against her office and personality, just to ridicule and infuse her to public ridicule.